Warehouse 13: (Part III) The Warning
by A Rhea King
Summary: A group calling themselves the Circle is swamping the Warehouse team with threatening letters. Having put off sending the team out to collect artifacts as long as he can, Artie sends the two teams on assignments. And right the Circle's traps...
1. Chapter 1

**Warehouse 13**  
**The Warning**  
By A. Rhea King

**Chapter 1**

Dim, old light bulbs lit the utility tunnels. The city above echoed faintly through the various vents and pipes to the surface. It kept from the world above from hearing or seeing one man chasing another man. The one in front occasionally turned to fire a gun. The one behind him dodged and ducked, but never lifted the crossbow he was carrying. The pursuit led to a closed door. The man in front struggled with the door. Just as he opened it an arrow pierced through the base of his neck, jutting out his throat. With a gurgle he fell into the doorway. The second man ran up to him, panting – something the first man never did. The first tried to lift his gun to aim but was dead before that happened.

His pursuer pulled a cellphone from his pocket, checked for signal, and dialed.

"It's done." He leaned back against a wall. "Yeah. I'm tired. This is the fourth one today and I am getting tired of having to cover them up." The man closed his eyes and then looked down at the deceased. He shook his head as his teeth ground. "I'm sure throwing some more idle threats and letters at the situation will make him stop – in the meantime, I'm cleaning up the mess." He hung up with a sneer at the phone. Then he heaved a tired sigh and then slung the crossbow over his back. He connected a strap to hold it there. He grabbed the man's arms and started dragging him into the next tunnel. A trail of black liquid followed the body.

As they passed under a light, he glanced down. The man's face was pale and showed black veins. His eyes were completely black and still gleamed. Whatever was in him, wasn't dead yet.

#

There were stacks of letters on the stairs. There were stacks of letters on every table in the sitting room. There were stacks of letters on the fireplace mantle and stacks dangerously close to the fireplace. USPS buckets of letters sat behind the couch. Letter stacks were tucked into every nook and cranny leading out to the atrium. They surrounded the table, were tucked under plants and piled on side tables.

"This one…" Pete said from behind a tall stack of letters. "Boise. Colorado? There's no Boise, Colorado, is there?"

"I don't know," Myka answered from somewhere on the other side of stack.

"Is there a Bennet, Colorado?"

"I don't know, Pete."

"You grew up in Colorado and you don't know if there's a Bennet, Colorado?"

"You grew up in Ohio and you didn't know there was a Zanesfield, Ohio."

"Tu'she. Tu'she…" Pete trailed off, staring at the postmark. He began wondering about the person who sent this. The letter was a threat – they all were – but who would take the time to send a letter?

He looked down when Claudia sat a cup of coffee at his elbow. "You okay?" she asked him.

He smiled up at her. "Great. I enjoy getting death threats on a daily basis."

She smiled sympathetically and rubbed his shoulder a couple times. "They are just being airheads. You shouldn't have let that stop you from working with the genies. I'm sure the word got around and now you have some really depressed ones waiting for you in the Warehouse."

"We're going with there's a genie community in the Warehouse who meet and discuss what happens in the Warehouse?" Pete shot back.

"Ooo. You are just full of sarcastic zeal today!"

"Maybe she's right," Myka commented from behind her stack of letters, "because somehow these people know exactly which genies Pete and I have released."

Claudia walked around the table and sat a cup of tea next to Myka.

"Thank you," Myka told her, but didn't look away from the letter she was reading. "And these are getting more and more personal. Like this one—"

Claudia shook her head when Myka looked up.

Myka mouthed '_What_?'

Claudia mouthed back, '_Pete's already upset._'

Myka sat the letter down and picked up the mug of tea. She nodded, glancing at Claudia.

Artie walked into the atrium. "Claudia, what are you doing here?"

"I had to come back for a shower and change of clothes, and something to eat. I'm heading back to the Warehouse now."

"Do you have any leads on how they know what genies were released yet?" Pete asked her.

"No. All are different handwriting or off different printers, and they aren't using the same paper or envelopes. Steve hasn't found any fingerprints or picked up any DNA from them. This…" Claudia picked up a letter from Myka's pile, staring at the signature. "Whoever this 'Circle' is, he, she, they, are being crafty! But when we find them, they're going to wish we hadn't been!"

"I have assignments," Artie told them.

"We have an assignment," Pete told him.

"These can wait. I need you four to go find artifacts. These can't wait any longer."

"Any longer?" Myka asked.

Artie nodded. "I've been putting off sending you four out for as long as I could, but these have become critical." He handed Myka a folder and Claudia a folder. He told Claudia, "Steve's coming back to get a shower and change, then you two will be off Faiyum, Egypt. Something there is animating mummies. Myka and Pete—"

"Animating mummies? We're going to be hunting mobile mummies? Like zombies or actual walking mummies?" Claudia asked.

"Animated, not walking. Myka and Pete, you're working with the Vatican to recover this artifact – we believe it belongs to the church so you'll be leaving it with them when it's recovered."

"We can leave right now," Pete said, standing. He tossed the envelope he'd been holding on the pile. Practically under his breath he added, "Because these are just pissing me off."

The three stared at him. He smiled at them.

"Let's go artifact hunting, Mykes!" Pete walked out of the room.

Myka looked up at Artie. "Are you sure—"

"You must go. Please, Myka, go."

"His mind won't be in this, Artie."

"Then get it in this. You have to find out what's killing these people." Artie tapped the folder. "Now go."

#

Steve held the door open as Claudia got out, wrestling her bag out with her. She dug into a front pocket and pulled out bills. He almost laughed when she tried to communicate with the cab driver about how much they owed him. Steve grabbed two bills, handed it to him, and then pulled her away.

"He was trying to get you to give him more."

"You understand him?"

"No, but my gut did. He was lying to you."

"Guess your lie detector works on any language."

"Guess so."

The two walked into a building, finding themselves surrounded by archaeological pieces and mummies.

"These ones aren't moving," Claudia commented.

The two looked up when a man hurried out of the back toward them.

"Hi," Claudia said.

He stopped, looking at each of them. "Hello. Who are you?"

"We were sent to take a look at the mummies that came back to life," Steve told him.

He measured both of them with his eyes, then motioned them to follow. The three went through the back door. The next room had several people cleaning historical artifacts and the tension in the room was thick. The people tried not to make it obvious they were watching Claudia and Steve. The two came out in another room and froze. In five sarcophagi mummies writhed, moaned. Their arms weakly reached toward the three, some exposing leather skin and bone.

"This is really creepy," Claudia whispered.

"Uh-huh…" Steve quietly agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Myka and Pete followed a priest through the halls of the Vatican. He turned and opened a door for them. The two walked into a room filled with books. Priests were working at various tables and reading books in comfortable chairs. The priest led them down a set of stairs to a man in cardinal robes sitting at a table. He stopped and whispered in his ear. The man nodded, motioning him to wait. Several minutes passed and Pete started to grow restless. The man stood and motioned them to follow. They left the room and went down two doors to an office.

"Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering? The Regents sent you?"

The two nodded.

"Thank you for coming. I'm Agostino Casaroli, President of the Pontifical Commission." He picked up a folder from his desk, opening it. "We had an artifact stolen three weeks ago." He handed them a photograph of a metal cross. "The cross of St. Dismas. The cross was misused for so long that it took his work unto itself. If a sinner does not confess all of their sins, it causes them increasing pain until they confess or die."

"Any suspects?" Myka asked.

"No. We have surveillance from the area it was stolen from. They wore hooded monk robes that covered their faces, and gloves. They knew exactly what they were after." He took the picture when Pete handed it back.

"Can you think of anyone who would want it? Who knew what it could do?" Pete asked.

Agostino shook his head. "I do not. There are few in the Vatican that know what it is capable of." He smiled a little, placing the folder on the desk. "What I find the most interesting is where these deaths are occurring. Rome does not speak much about our problems, such as gangs, but it is in an area such as this the deaths are occurring. They have been happening on the known territory line of two gangs."

"Are the deaths of a rival gang?"

"They are from both sides, and are causing tensions on both sides."

Myka nodded. "Perhaps it's a third gang trying to get them to fight, so they can then move in on their turf."

"Whatever the reason may be, we need the cross back before more people are killed."

"Of course," Myka said. "We'll find it."

He nodded once. The two walked to the door. Pete stopped suddenly and turned. He walked back to the desk.

"Where, from here, is the road Largo Chigi and Via dei Villini."

"Largo Chigi isn't far from here. Via dei Villini is across the river, near the Metro. Why do you ask?"

Pete dug out two envelopes and showed them to him. "These were marked on these streets. Is that normal?"

Agostino looked at the envelopes. "No. It can be requested, for tourists, but not something citizens request."

Pete took the envelopes. "Thank you."

"Do these have something to do with the cross?"

"No. Thank you for your help."

The two leave the office. Myka watched him put the envelopes in his pocket. She smiled when he looked at her.

"I thought it might help," Pete explained.

She nodded. "It might help. Let's get this artifact back, and then we can go back and find out. Deal?"

"Deal."

#

Steve was working at avoid the mummies hand and get a reading with Édouard Belin's unknown handheld Belinograph. His arms already bore bruises where mummies had latched onto him with their vice-like fingers.

"He said there's a room in the back. I'm going to go see if it might be in plain sight."

"Yeah. K," Steve said. "Let go," he ordered the mummy when it latched onto his arm. "Let me go."

The mummy tried to talk back.

"Let me go!" Steve ordered.

Claudia rolled her lips to resist laughing, but let it go once she was in the next room. She pulled out a spritz bottle of neutralizer and spritzed items as she walked. She paused, hearing someone talking. Claudia walked to the end of the aisle and found the man that had met them. He stood next to the back door and looked suspiciously nervous.

"Hi," Claudia said.

He forced a smile and then it wilted.

"I'm sorry. I had no choice. I had to… I had to, you understand," he told her.

"Had to wha—"

Someone grabbed her from behind and pressed a rag over her face. She recognized the smell of ether and tried to hold her breath as she fought. But this person was much stronger than she was and held on until she was forced to take a breath. From there it was a losing fight. She fell asleep, going limp. The person picked her up and told the man something in Egyptian. The apologetic man walked over to a cupboard and pulled out a small Egyptian artifact. He opened the back door and the two exited. Claudia's kidnapper walked to a waiting car and placed her in the back seat, then climbed in next to her.

#

Steve got up, pushing the mummy's hand off his, and just in time. All the mummies stopped moving at the same instant. He stood for a moment.

"Claudia!" Steve called out.

He waited for her to come running, but she didn't. Steve turned, staring at the door she'd gone through.

"Claudia."

She didn't join him.

Steve walked into the next room. The room had a row of shelves down the middle, but didn't really offer many places to hide. He walked along the shelves.

"Claudia?"

He spotted something on the floor. Steve trotted over to it and picked up Claudia's bag. He looked at the open door.

"CLAUDIA!" Steve ran out the door into the alley.

There was no one in the alley. He patted his pockets and then pawed through her bag. Unable to find what he was looking for he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and started to dial number. He paused. There was something in the alley. Steve walked toward it and stopped when he stood over it. It was the Farnsworth she had in her jacket pocket.

Steve picked it up, opening the battered cover. He tapped a button and Artie appeared.

"Did you find it?" Artie asked.

"Someone just kidnapped Claudia."

Artie stared at him. "She-She's… Kidnapped? Claudia?"

"Yes. And the mummies, they stopped moving. This was a trap, Artie. They wanted Claudia and they lured us here."

Artie looked away. Steve saw some kind of paper appear at the edge of the screen. Artie snarled, "The Circle."

Steve looked down the alley, then the other direction. "They were threatening Pete." He looked back at Artie. "Why would they take Claudia?"

"To have something to barter with. Go back to the hotel."

"I have to look for her."

"You're in Egypt and you cannot go looking for her. Not without help. Give me some time to arrange it."

Steve wanted to argue.

"Steve, I need time to get you help. You cannot save her if you're dead or kidnapped too."

Steve nodded. "Hurry." He closed the lid and walked back to the open door.

#

Pete and Myka walked down a narrow alley. They kept close together and their guns close to their hands. This place was dangerous for outsiders. They passed doors where strange smells wafted out, or despondent occupants watched them with dead eyes. They could hear babies crying, people fighting, and sometimes children laughing.

"Here. This was where the last death happened," Myka said.

They poked around the area, trying to get a sense of what happened.

"What are you doing?" someone asked.

The two turned. A skinny man in his twenties stood at the end of an alley.

"We're investigating the murder that was committed here," Pete told him.

He scoffed. "Murders happen all the time here. What makes this one so special?"

"We're looking for the murder weapon. It's dangerous."

The man grinned. His teeth were in bad shape, but he still had all of them. Something dropped into his hand that looked like it might be a dagger. Pete's hand went to his gun.

"We're not looking for trouble," Myka told the man.

"No? Well, trouble found you, sinners." He lifted his arm, brandishing the stolen cross.

The two jumped away as a bolt of electricity flew out at them. It hit the wall and when they looked up, the man was gone. The two leapt to their feet and chased him. They didn't notice he was leading them deeper into this neighborhood, into places were sunlight barely reached. He turned into a door way and they followed. They stopped, staring at three doors.

"Which one?" Myka said.

"I don't know."

"You don't have a feeling?"

"Yeah. I have a feeling. It started back when I saw him and it's not helping none."

"I'll take the right one, you take the left," Myka said and ran through the doorway on her right.

Pete took the left one.

#

Myka didn't have to run far before she caught sight of the man. He had stopped to catch his breath. Seeing her he grinned, and then took off running. Myka followed him downstairs into a basement that led into catacombs. She came around a corner and stopped. They were in a room with no exit. A hole in the ceiling let in a stream of light which he stood behind. The awkward light made her uncomfortably aware that she couldn't tell if the man was holding the cross aimed at her or was unarmed.

"I just want the cross. I don't care about anything else," Myka said.

"You care about nothing else?" he asked.

"No."

"How about that man behind you?"

Before she could turn a hand latched onto her wrist, stopping her throwing a punch. Another hand pressed a cloth with ether against her nose and mouth. She struggled until she passed out. A cloaked, masked man caught her and picked her up.

"The cross," he told the man.

"I think I'll keep it."

"Give me the cross."

"No. I'm keeping it."

"That was not our arrangement."

"Yeah? Well I'm changing our arrangement. I'm keeping the cash and the cross."

The man drew a gun and shot him. He sat Myka down and walked over. He pulled the cross out of the dying man's hand.

"Didn't your predecessor explain to you? The Circle does not alter arrangements."

The young man couldn't speak.

"Foolish child." The cloaked man walked back to Myka and picked her up. He left the young man to die alone.

#

Claudia fought hard against the ether-lethargy. She heard noises and soft spoken words in foreign languages. There was a shuffle of feet and she heard something metal get sat down a little too hard on something solid.

She finally managed to open her heavy eyelids but her eyes couldn't focus. She felt someone near her and they pressed something to her lips.

"Drink," a man said.

Her mind split the decision between not wanting to obey and doing it. She was grateful the opposing side won because the water tasted good. It was cold and seemed to help with the drug-lethargy. She drank the entire cup she was offered. The person left.

Claudia closed her eyes and shook her head a little to rid herself of how tired she was. When she opened her eyes this time the world was clear. The room was lit with burning candles and she could tell she was in a very old dungeon. There were old, rusty shackles along the walls. The walls were stone and there were no windows. There was an alter in the center of the room, one that had possibly been used for something sinister back in the day. Sitting at one end was a silver hookah.

A person in a monks robe was making preparations with bowls, more candles, and laying chains out on the alter. She tried to get up and discovered her wrists and ankles were in new shackles and kept her sitting with the new chain that ran through a new hoop embedded in the stone wall. She yanked her arms a couple times, but it didn't make the shackles or chains any looser.

"Hey," Claudia said.

The person didn't stop or answer.

"Hey, where am I? Why was I kidnapped?"

He didn't answer.

"You do know kidnapping is a felony in, well, any country, right?"

The man moved around the alter, finishing his work. She stared at his masked face. All that she could see was his eyes and lips, everything else was hidden.

"So what are you supposed to be, anyway? Superhero monk?"

The man remained silent.

Claudia tried the chains again. She jerked when a cup and bowl was sat down next to her. She looked up at the man. He held eyes with her for a brief moment and then walked away.

"Hey. Hey!" Claudia called.

He shut the door to the dungeon. She wilted a little.

"I have to pee," Claudia quietly told the room.

She looked down at the food and glass of water. She wasn't really sure what was in the bowl or if it was safe to eat. Her stomach rumbled. However long she'd been here, it had been long enough to miss a few meals her stomach told her. Claudia picked up the bowl and ate. It was some kind of stew and was actually very good. She finished the whole thing and glass of water. The food wasn't drugged, but her bladder was not cool with the extra liquid.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Myka Bering," Pete repeated to the Roman police officer. He showed him a picture. "She is missing, presumably kidnapped. I need to find her."

"But you said she's only been missing for a few hours."

"Yes, she has, but we were chasing a thief when she went missing. I'm afraid something has happened to her. Please, you have to help me. Please."

"If your own consulate wouldn't do anything, why should we? Tourists! You're all the same."

"We are not tourists!" Pete bellowed.

Most of the station stopped and stared at him. Pete closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead.

"You know what, forget it. This tourist thinks you're all completely useless. I'll find her myself since you can't seem to be bothered!" He stormed out of the building and headed up the street.

The Farnsworth began buzzing. Pete stopped, answering it. He glared at Artie.

"Any luck?"

"No. The consulate doesn't acknowledge we're here, Artie, and the police won't do anything."

"They won't acknowledge you're there?"

"Yeah. I went to the consulate just like you said. I found that Mister Ramey – who apparently has no first name. He told me he couldn't help, that the American consulate doesn't acknowledge any American agents in Rome."

"What?" Artie asked.

"Which part do I need to repeat?"

"He is a Regent, Pete!"

"Oh. Well. That makes it all better then, doesn't it?"

"He shouldn't have said that. He should have used contacts to help you… You know… I… I'll make calls."

"You'll make…" Pete scoffed and laughed. "You'll make calls. Great. Meanwhile, whoever has that cross may have used it to kill my partner."

"No. No. Pete. She's alive. You have to have faith."

Pete looked away. His faith was in short supply.

"Pete look at me."

He didn't.

"Pete, look at me."

He finally did.

"We will find Claudia, I promise."

"Claudia?"

"I mean Myka."

"You said Claudia."

Artie made a face.

"Oh damn!" Pete gasped. "She's missing too?"

"She was kidnapped also."

Pete leaned against a wall, staring at the people around him. He felt so helpless right now.

"Pete."

He looked back down at Artie. "I will call in a favor with the Church, and I will find someone to help you look for her. Go back to the hotel and wait for my call."

"Okay."

"We'll bring our girls home, I promise."

Pete nodded. He shut the Farnsworth and headed down the street. He spotted a taxi and flagged it down. Pete stammered the name of his hotel and then sat back.

#

Steve went over their trail on a map again, trying to figure out where to search for Claudia next. Reactively he snatched up the Farnsworth when it began ringing and opened it.

"Anything new?" Artie asked.

"No. You haven't found any clues?"

"No."

"Did Pete find Myka?"

"No. For some reason we can't get anyone in Rome to help him. It's like all of my contacts are scared to help us."

Steve stopped walking, thinking for a moment. "What if they are?"

"Are what?"

"What if your contacts are scared of helping? What if this Circle got to them?"

Artie frowned. "They wouldn't tell me one way or the other."

"You asked them?"

Artie nodded. "No one would admit to being scared of them, but they all had reasons not to help. And the Church had their cross returned, so they aren't very interested in helping."

"Maybe this group is a lot larger than you thought, Artie."

"I'm beginning to suspect that myself. Keep me posted, and I'm still trying to find help for you too."

"Thanks."

Artie disappeared. Steve put the Farnsworth away and pulled out a map. He was looking it over when he felt someone lying. Steve looked up, staring at the hooded person standing twenty feet from him.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

The person pulled out a Taser and shot it at him. Steve tried to get up when the current stopped. Someone jabbed another Taser into his back and tased him unconscious.

#

Pete climbed out of the taxi and climbed the three wide stairs to the hotel entrance. He passed the front desk that was busy as it had been the night they arrived. Pete tapped the button of the elevator, staring at it. He tapped it again, then again, and his anger began to build. He punched the wall, putting a dent in it. Pete stared at the dent, even when the elevator door opened and then shut. He lightly tapped the button again. The door opened and he stepped inside. Pete turned, finding a couple with two children had been standing behind him. The woman looked terrified, the man was in shock, and the children stared wide-eyed at him. Pete tapped the button for his floor – he didn't have the patience to apologize right now.

He pulled the key out of his pocket as he came to his hotel room door. There was a note from the front desk taped to his door. He pulled it off, reading: A package came and housekeeping left it on your bed.

Pete's other hand immediately went to his gun. He slid the key into the keyhole and slowly turned it. Cautiously Pete opened the door. The shades had been pulled and the room had the smell of flowers from being cleaned. His bed was made and sitting on the corner of it was a plain wooden box that had been nailed shut. Pete walked to the box and pried the lid off. A card sat on top of packing straw. Pete picked it up and opened it.

In handwriting he hadn't yet seen was scrawled: We warned you there would be consequences. This is your first consequence.

Pete tossed the note and pawed through the packing. He expected to find something horrible, like Myka's finger, hand, foot, or worse, her head. Instead he uncovered a silver wine decanter. But it may as well have been her head because he knew what it meant.

"No," Pete whispered.

He pulled a glove from his coat pocket and grabbed the handle with it He stared at his reflection in the metal. Pete gently brushed his hand over the metal.

From the decanter smoke poured, taking up most of the room and hovering near the ceiling.

In an all too familiar feminine voice the genie asked, "What is your wish master?"

Pete dropped the decanter. "Myka."

There was no recognition from the genie.

"Myka, it's Pete."

"What is your wish, master?" she asked.

"Myka, you need to remember me and you. You have to remember who you were before you were changed into a genie. You know how this works, somewhere in…" Pete motioned at the swirl of cloud. "There."

She didn't act like she knew what he was talking about.

"Oh God!" Pete put his hand against his forehead, trying to think. "Ah. I got it." Pete dug his cell phone out and pulled up the pictures on it. He pulled up one of Myka and showed it to the genie. "This is you, Myka. This is Myka Bering, born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. You became a Secret Service Agent, on the president detail, before you came to the Warehouse. You lost your last partner, Sam, and you loved him. He, uh, he called you Bunny. Your dad's name is Warren, your mom is Jeanie. You have a sister. Her name is Tracy, and—"

"Pete!" she whispered.

The smoke suddenly compressed until it turned into Myka. She gasped, staggering forward, when the last of it disappeared behind her eyes. She stood for a moment, staring at the wall. Her wide eyes slowly turned to Pete. The two stared at each other.

"I'm a genie," Myka told him in a small voice. "How… How did… What the hell is going on, Pete?"

Pete didn't answer. Instead he threw his arms around her in a tight hug and almost started crying.

"I thought you were dead. I thought they'd…" Pete closed his eyes, hugging her tighter.

She began shaking. "I'm a genie, Pete."

He opened his eyes when he heard something hit the wall. Pete slowly looked up. The pictures and light fixtures were rattling.

"Myka, you have to calm down," Pete said.

"They turned me into a genie, Pete! I'm a… What the hell!?"

The shaking intensified. Pete stepped back, keeping his hands on her shoulders. He looked her in the eyes.

"Myka, I know you're mad and scared, but you have to calm down."

"The hell I'm calming down! I—"

"Honey, you have the power to level this hotel, hell, Rome, to the ground right now. I need you to calm down. Take some deep breaths. Do some of those yoga moves. Whatever it takes, you have to calm down. Look. Around. The room, Mykes."

Myka looked around the room, seeing what he meant. She closed her eyes. When it didn't stop right away she leaned into Pete. He rested his forehead against her forehead and held her face in his hands

"Breathe. All you have to do is breath, Mykes," Pete quietly told her.

She laid her hands on his and did just that. The rattling in the room slowly came to a stop. Pete waited for her to stand up. She pulled away and slowly sat down on the floor at the foot of the bed. He sat down next to her. Myka took his hand in both of hers, holding on tight to it.

"I'm a genie," she repeated.

"Yeah. Kinda noticed." Pete pulled at string in the rug. "Do you remember who took you or how they turned you into a genie?"

"Not really." She laid her head on his shoulder. "I was drugged, I think. I remember there was a room of people chanting. I can almost remember the smell of candles burning and then things just fade away. But when I first woke up I was in this place that was gray. There was nothing there. Nothing. And there was light above me but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. All around that light was pitch black. I decided to try walking through it, to see if I could get somewhere."

Pete looked up when the picture on the wall began to tremble. As she continued everything loose in the room began to rattle.

"There was something out there, Pete. Something evil. And it laughed and grabbed a hold of me. It tried to strangle me. I got away and ran back to the light. I just got into the light and it grabbed my ankle. It was a hand, Pete. It was white with black veins. I kicked it off and I didn't leave that light. I didn't go anywhere until you summoned me and that's when I forgot who I was."

Pete sighed, shaking his head.

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head, looking up. "I thought what I was doing was right. I was sure that releasing those humans that didn't belong trapped was right, Myka. Now it looks like I put everyone in danger. I'm sorry."

"Pete, you were not wrong. Whoever is doing this is, they're… They're being bullies!"

Pete didn't comment. Myka laid her head on his shoulder.

"I don't want to go back in there."

"You have to. I can't get you through airport security as a genie."

That made her cry. Pete put his arm around her, holding her close. He watched the objects around the room tremble with the emotional power Myka the genie was releasing.

"It's okay, Mykes. I won't put you back in there until it's time to leave."

She closed her eyes, curling up at his side and holding onto him with both hands. "Please don't."

The objects slowly stop shaking. He now firmly believed that who or whatever decided genies should have the power of the gods should have been hung before they had the chance to make it happen.

#

Artie grabbed his Farnsworth and flicked it open. Pete was on the screen, leaning in close. He was somewhere dark.

"I don't know anything yet," Artie told him. "The police are still look—"

"Call off the search but you can't tell them why," Pete almost whispered.

"Myka's missing, Pete. We need—"

"She's asleep in the other room. Artie, whoever has been sending those threats turned her into a genie. I booked the next flight home so I can release her."

Artie suddenly found himself whispering. "She's safe otherwise? She isn't hurt?"

"No. She doesn't remember much of what happened. They were wearing black robes and hoods. The put her in a silver wine thingy. She told me what it was, I forgot."

"Okay. Get back fast."

"Any word on Claudia?"

"No. She's still missing. I'll send Steve back to the hotel. Maybe they sent something back to his room."

"Good idea."

Artie heard Myka call out, "Pete? Where are you?"

He noticed that things around Pete began to lift.

"What's going on, Pete?"

"She's scared and keeps forgetting she has the power of God in her veins right now. I'll see you in a twelve hours." And Pete was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Claudia was roughly awakened by being drug to her feet. Two people in black robes and hoods unfastened the chains from her wrists and pulled her forward. The room was full of people in black robes and hoods. The silence in the room created an eerie heaviness. As she was pulled forward they separated, their eyes watching her from behind their masks.

"What's going on?" Claudia asked.

No one answered.

The two brought her to the edge of the people and she started to panic when she saw the alter – until she saw who was on it. She couldn't tell if he was pale from the alabaster reflecting light or because he was dead.

"Jinks," Claudia gasped and lunged toward him.

The two pulled her back, easily holding her despite her writhing and twisting. She tried to punch, claw, and even kick, but the hoods were unmoving. She froze when the group began something else chanting. Across from her the group parted and another hood approached. He began chanting and the other's followed.

The new hood lifted his arm, pointing a long, boney finger to his right toward Steve's head. She followed the finger and stared for a moment at the copper hookah. She was confused. She didn't know what it meant. Not until he moved his hand with all fingers pointing at Steve. White smoke seeped from his body. It trailed up the alter, climbed the hookah, and flowed inside.

It was a punch to the stomach when she realized what was happening. They were changing Steve into a genie.

"No," Claudia begged. "Please, don't do this. Do not do this to him. Please, please." Claudia started crying. "I will take his place. I will! Please!"

The chanting didn't stop.

"Claudia," Steve muttered.

She looked at his face. He was waking up, but whatever he was drugged with was strong. Claudia fought even harder. Finally she landed a punch that freed her left arm, and then punched the other hood in the face, forcing him to let go. She lurched forward, leaping onto the alter and lying face to face with Steve. She couldn't stop this – that much she knew – but she wasn't letting him go through it alone. She grabbed his hands in her hands and when he looked at her, she smiled.

She didn't see the boney fingered hood motion the other two to stop from grabbing her off the alter.

"It's going to be dark where you're going," Claudia told him.

The two backed away and joined the chanting.

"Where is that?" Steve asked.

"Just listen. Listen and do not forget. You have to remember who you are. You cannot forget that you are a human. And you have to stay in the light. Do not go into the dark. I will see you again. I promise I will find you and I will see you again."

His hands were becoming transparent.

"I feel strange," Steve told her.

"I know. Repeat what I just told you.

"I have to remember who I am. I cannot forget I'm human. I have to stay in the light. You will find me. You always find me."

"That's right. I always find you." Claudia started crying as she watched his face grow transparent and melt away. "Remember who you are. Remember you are human. Stay in the light. I will find you. Repeat after me, Jinksy."

Steve repeated with her until he was smoke down to his neck. The rest of him followed much faster and suddenly she was holding air. The two robes roughly drug her off the alter and she fought. Right up until the new robe, with his ancient, wrinkled hand, grabbed her by the throat and threw her back on the alter, pinning her there in a strangle hold. She gagged, clawed and kicked.

"You are to take a message to Lattimer," the ancient hood told her.

She stopped struggling. He nodded to someone. Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone step forward. There was a sting in her arm and then it was gone. Immediately she felt a tiredness wash over her.

"You will wake up at your hotel, Claudia. You will take the hookah and you will go back to South Dakota. You will tell Lattimer this is his final warning. If any more genies are released, we will become more aggressive and people will get hurt, or die."

"Why are you doing this?" Claudia whispered. She could barely breathe still.

"Pete is letting something very dark into the world, something he cannot control. When enough of it is released… The biblical end of days will be nothing in comparison."

A tear slid away. "He's only helping them."

"The genies?"

"Yes."

The rough voice softened. "Why did you tell Steve to stay in the light, Claudia?"

"What?"

"You told Steve to stay in the light. Why?"

"Pete told me that there's something in the darkness. It wants to kill genies and it can, if they don't stay in the light."

The ancient hood leaned in so she could see his pale blue eyes clearly. "And what do you think that darkness does when it gets out of a genie vessel, young lady? Do you think it grows flowers?"

She was so tired it was a struggle to stay awake. "Probably… Not."

"That's right. This is Lattimer's last warning. Now sleep. And then run home to Artie and he will fix everything – this time."

Claudia wanted to argue and resist, but being half strangled and drugged, she didn't have any fight left in her. She slipped away into sleep.

#

"Claudia."

She opened her eyes, but the face in front of her was blurry.

"Hey there. Welcome back to the living."

She recognized the voice. "Pete?"

"Yeah. Where's Steve? I got a call that said you were here, but Steve isn't."

Claudia closed her eyes.

"Claudia—"

"Just… Hold… On."

Claudia rolled onto her side, feeling carpet under her hand. A breeze wafted across her face – it was hot but didn't smell like a hot breeze in South Dakota. She deduced she was still in Faiyum, Egypt.

She pushed herself up and opened her eyes again. Now they focused. She sat up and looked around her. She was back in her hotel room. Sitting prominently on a dresser was the hookah, a sight that made her tear up. Pete came back into view.

"Claudia?"

"He's in there." She pointed at the hookah.

Pete turned, staring at it. He sat down on the edge of a chair and inhaled slowly. He stood suddenly.

"Get packed. We have to go home and free them. I'll pack Steve's stuff. Hurry, will ya?" Pete disappeared into the bathroom.

"They? What they? Pete, what's going on?"

"The Circle turned Myka into a genie too. They're a final warning before they do something bad, I'm told. As if this isn't bad. I never…"

The sound of glass shattering in the bathroom made her jump. Claudia got up and walked to the door. Pete leaned over the sink with his eyes closed. Shards of the mirror were scattered everywhere. Some pieces stuck out of the cuts across his hand where he'd punched the mirror.

Claudia walked into the room and turned on the water. She gently pulled his hand under the water, letting water wash the blood away.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Claudia told him. "Pete, you didn't do anything wrong. This isn't your fault."

"I didn't listen."

Claudia wrapped her hands around his and waited until he looked her in the eyes. "Pete, you didn't _do_ anything wrong. You were helping those trapped people. None of us thought this Circle would take things this far, and that doesn't make you at fault. Please, right now I need you to be the strong because… Because my best friend, he's trapped in that hookah and I… I…" Claudia started crying.

Pete put his arms around her, holding her while she cried.

#

Artie was waiting at the bottom of the stairs when Claudia and Pete came down. They each carried the vessel of their partner-turned-genie. He handed them tawiz amulets.

"One last time, and then we're done until we sort this out," Artie told them, but looked at Pete when he said it.

Pete nodded.

"I'm going to release Myka first, okay?" Pete asked Claudia. "Steve won't remember who he is so it's going to take longer, but Myka has remembered the last two times I brought her out."

Claudia nodded.

Pete rubbed the vase and smoke poured out into a towering creature. It quickly compressed back into Myka. She smiled.

"Oh! I have never been so happy to see the Warehouse!"

They all smiled.

"I wish that you were no longer a genie," Pete said.

"As you wish, master."

A metal collar and cuffs appeared around her neck, wrists and ankles. They broke off, turned to smoke, and disappeared back into the vase. She hugged Pete.

"Thank you!"

"No problem. Now, Steve was turned into a genie. We didn't bring him out in Egypt so we'll have to remind him who he is."

Myka stepped back, turning her attention to Claudia. Claudia rubbed the hookah. Smoke poured out into a towering creature.

"What is your bidding, master?"

"He doesn't sound like Steve," Claudia told them.

"They never sound human." Myka told her. "Now you have to talk to him. Remind him of who he is, that he's human. You've seen us do this, you can do it too, Claudia."

She handed Artie the hookah and walked up to the creature. "Hi. I'm Claudia. You're Steve Jinks. You're human. You're my friend; my best friend. You were an ATF agent, you still are, I guess, but now you work here, at the Warehouse with us. You died once and I brought you back to life with a metronome, remember that? And…"

The smoke compressed into Steve. He stared wide-eyed at all of them.

"I'm a genie."

"Not for long," Claudia said with a smile. "I wish you were no longer a genie."

"As you wish, master." He gasped. "Oh, God, did I just—"

A metal collar and cuffs appeared around her neck, wrists and ankles. They broke off, turned to smoke, and disappeared back into the vase. Claudia threw her arms around his neck, hugging him.

"You're back! You're back!"

He was still really confused. "I never knew I left."

"You don't remember anything?" Pete asked.

"No. I was looking for Claudia and I was attacked. I remember seeing her again but it was like a dream. There were people in robes and they were chanting. Then I was here, as a genie."

"That's as much as I remember too," Myka told him. "It happened so fast."

"Okay, now that the team is back to being all human," Artie began, "Pete, we are going to stop releasing genies until we can figure out who this Circle is and why they're so dead set against it. That's not from me, either, that's from—"

"The Regents," Pete finished. "I'm okay with that. I like Myka and Steve as humans, myself." He put his arm around her shoulder, the two best friends exchanging smiles.

#

At a townhome in London, the bell rang. Martha Dart trotted to the door and opened it. She smiled, opening her arms.

"Stan." The two hugged. "It is always good to see you!" Martha stepped back to let him in. "How is Mary and the kids?"

"They're doing just fine, thank you," he answered. Unlike Martha, he had a thick African accent, although one wouldn't guess he was from that country by looking at him.

"You should come over Sunday for dinner."

"I'll be sure to ask her and have her give you a ring. Is Mark home?"

"Yes. He's in his study fiddling with his models."

Stan knew where the study was and walked down the narrow hall to the second door on the right. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Markus, an older man with long, ancient fingers and bright blue eyes – the man under the hood who told Claudia to deliver the message to Pete – was painstakingly building a model war ship on his desk. The glue filled the room with a harsh, bitter scent that the open window behind him did nothing to vent.

"Stanley," Markus said. "What word do you bring?"

"Lattimer has been ordered to stop releasing genies by the Regents."

Markus didn't comment right away. He finished gluing a gun to the deck of the ship first. He glanced up at Stanley.

"He's been known to disobey."

"I think we effectively scared him into stopping for now. Until we can figure out who is releasing the evil residue from the genie vessels."

"Very good. I wish it hadn't come to this – I condone him for his good work."

Stan smiled. "Me too. I believe many deserved freedom like you gave me, sir."

Markus looked up at him, pausing. He smiled, going back to work. "Yes. So did Martha. She hadn't seen her sister in over three thousand years, and when she showed up a month go… We'll sort this out, Stan, and then Lattimer's good work will continue."

"Yes, sir."

"Will you two be coming to supper Sunday? I heard Martha ask."

"Most likely, yes."

Markus leaned over his model. "Once we know whose releasing them, we'll speak with the Regents again. For now, keep this among the Circle. That will be all, Stan."

Stan nodded once and left.

#

"This goes down to Yosemite, B12," Artie told Pete, depositing a clock in his lap. "With the other clocks."

Pete had his hand in a cookie jar and his mouth full of cookies. He made a face at Artie.

"We need more milk," Pete told him.

"Then you should buy some. After you take that clock to its spot."

Pete lifted his left hip up to pull out gloves. He pulled them on and sat the cookie jar on the couch, then picked up the clock. He headed down into the Warehouse, starting to hum as he walked. He heard an energy ball coming and ducked, letting it fly past him.

He made his way to Yosemite, B12, and found the tag for the clock.

Pete lifted it up, sat it down, and froze. His breathing stopped. His heart stopped. For two seconds he was frozen. His eyes turned white. The air hummed with the sound of electricity. His heart restarted, followed by his breathing. With stiff movement, he walked down the aisle. As he passed metal artifacts small bolts of electricity leapt from his skin, zapping them. Pete turned down an aisle…

#

White eyed and in a trance, Pete returned to Yosemite, B12. He stopped in front of the clock and reached up, laying his hands on the clock. For several minutes he froze like that. Suddenly Pete animated. He tapped the screen to check the clock back into inventory, and then headed back to the office and the bottomless cookie jar.

_The End_


End file.
